To appropriately charge consumers for utility usage such as gas, water, or electricity, a metering device is associated with the utility connection. Historically, the metering device has been a mechanical device that is located at the utility connection. This mechanical device is manually read by utility personnel, typically monthly, which can be a significant expense for the utility.
Accordingly, some metering devices provide for some type of communication of the metered information to the utility. Nevertheless, most metering devices are mechanical in nature. While some electrical-based devices are entering the market, their architectures are typically still based on mechanical detection of consumption.